NAMAKKAL: In a gruesome attack, a civic body member and his father were killed while his mother escaped with grievous injuries in R Pudupatti near Rasipuram in the district here.
Police sources said, A Sivakumar (36), member of R Pudupatti town panchayat, died on the way to hospital while his father Periannan alias Ayyavu (65), died on the spot after the brutal attack that happened in their house premises in Puliamarathanthottam in R Pudupatti.
Sivakumar’s mother Marayee (55), suffered serious injuries and was undergoing treatment at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem. She is stated to be out of danger. The incident occurred around 12 am on Sunday.
Top police officials including the Superintendent of Police (SP) S Maheshwaran visited the spot. It came to light that the attackers were residing in the neighbouring house of one Marappan and his son Sivakumar. They were fighting a bitter legal battle against the deceased men over right of pathway to their house, as it runs through a farmland.
About midnight on Saturday, the assailants entered the farm of Ayyavu where he was sleeping on a wire cot just outside his house. The duo had hacked and stabbed on his head, shoulder and leg, using a long sickle and a spear, sources said.
Hearing him scream, Marayee came out of the house and she was also assaulted. The murderers had poured a solution of cow dung and chili powder before attacking her. When Sivakumar came out of the house, he was also attacked in a similar way.
Police sources said that the duo poured the cow dung solution on Sivakumar’s wife Lavanya also and fled the scene. Her seven-year-old girl Rithika was safe inside the house. Dispute over right of pathway is cited as the motive of the murder.
“Both the parties were fighting a legal battle over right of pathway. A year ago, the court delivered the verdict in favour of Ayyavu,” a police officer said.